Anti Strawberry
by Sapphire Sunrise
Summary: Now twenty-one, Ichigo has managed to become a working musician, be rejected by Rukia, and run into a Quincy that he hasn't seen in years. What does Ishida even have to say to him? Ichigo x Ishida
1. Chapter 1

Hey there, everybody. Long time no see. I've been kind of lazy with my fics lately, I'll admit... but I'm here with a new fandom. Damn me for loving Bleach so much. I might just get chemical poisoning! D:  
I believe that this will be either a two-part or a three-part, depending on how I feel like describing things. I hope you enjoy! x3  
-Anti-Strawberry-  
Rating: "T" for brief language, hints at homosexuality, and some upcoming themes. Subject to change.  
Pairing: IchiIshi  
Summary: It's been six years, and now everyone in the group is at the grand age of twenty-one. Ichigo, being rejected by Rukia for his love a year ago, has become a musician and performs in a nightclub only to end up running into someone he didn't think would find him...

* * *

The moon--an ivory entity of the night, illuminating in its path the darkest shreds of the Earth at the darkest of times. Nighttime. A time of sin and glorious gallivants. Of course, there are just some people who know more about the fun of the night than others. For a twenty-one-year-old substitute shinigami, it was the time to live life to the fullest. 

"Who's ready to party and hear some _real_ music!?" Kurosaki Ichigo bellowed over the mulling roar of his favorite night club. The young man wore a tight black, green, and purple striped shirt with a collar that had a few buttons. The jeans he had were torn up, faded, and dark blue that sat low on his hips and tight around his thighs, only flaring out slightly towards his ankles. A studded belt was angled around his waist, very similar to the bracelets around his wrists. Each ear was pierced twice in the lobe with simple hoops, and an extra hoop was anchored in the cartilage of his right ear. He was the definition of near-emo style. Strumming a few beats on his guitar, he graced his sharp features with an obnoxiously-confident grin only to receive a cheer in his direction.

Ichigo really did love getting this attention. He soaked it up like a neglected sponge. This was strange simply because he used to be such a loner.

And really, he still was.

It had been a few years ago that Ichigo decided to finally pick up that cherry-red guitar that was so silently collecting dust in a corner of his room. He played a little when he was younger, but had long since given it up. When he let the music come back to him though, damn, he was glad he did. Not only did it give him the excuse to call something he enjoyed doing a career, it wasn't something he particularly considered work.

What could be so hard about doing something you love and getting paid for it? Whatever celebrity made up the bullshit about fame being difficult, well, Ichigo wanted to bash their head in. Not that Kurosaki had a swelled ego. He knew that less than a fair amount of musicians ever truly made it, but he wasn't doing bad, and that was just fine with him.

The only thing that ever bothered him was the plethora of _fangirls _(and the occasional boy). Considering that Karakura was not a particularly huge city, nor was he a completely unknown presence, the amount of locals that screamed when they noticed him walking down the street astounded him.

There was good attention and bad attention, and Ichigo hated that kind. At the end of the day, though, he knew it was part of the deal so he just chose to live with it and give a false smile to them all, an act that somehow got girls to swoon. Perhaps even some guys. The bisexuality of the job managed to startle him incessantly. Could one really call it the bisexuality of the job...? Whatever.

"Thank you, thank you!" he bellowed out, beating a few more notes as the crowd cried for him once again. "We're gonna take a short break, but don't worry. We'll be back!" Ichigo tossed a small wink and walked off backstage. "Keigo, you slowed down a little bit towards the end," he noted with a smirk at his drummer.

"Oh... shut up! Only you can stay awake doing this all friggin' night long, Ichigo-kun!" Keigo pouted back, drumming out a rhythm on Ichigo's skull with the sticks in his hands.

The fiery-headed one's eye twitched in annoyance. "Whatever. It's called knowing how to schedule your time. Instead of spending the day with girls, I _slept_," Ichigo huffed back, grabbing the drumsticks to keep them from any longer killing brain cells.

"Hey!" Keigo cried, "I did not spend the whole day with girls, I was with Ritsuko (1)!"

"Fine. Girlfriend. Same difference, Keigo."

"Arguing again?" came a soft-spoken, deep voice from the opposite corner of the dim room.

"Not really, Chad. Keigo's just being an idiot. Big surprise," Ichigo answered, glancing over at the other and shoving his hands into his pant pockets. Hearing that Ichigo was thinking about putting together a band, Chad had revealed that he wasn't too shabby at playing the bass and joined up with his best friend straight away.

"What's so stupid about spending part of the day with my girlfriend!? She wanted my company!"

"In bed?" Ichigo muttered under his breath, also using a slight cough to cover the words up.

"You're just jealous because you don't have a girlfriend. Why don't you try hooking up with Orihime-chan? She still digs you, dude. Besides, she's _real _cute," Keigo practically squeaked, tossing his arm around Ichigo's shoulders.

"Sorry, Keigo. She's with me," Chad replied, looking away out a dingy window that was at least ten feet up the wall. All he could see was the dimmed neon lights of the club's sign outside.

"ARE YOU KIDDING!?" Keigo erupted, "Oh my **God**!"

"Shit, you're so damned stupid," Ichigo grunted, starting to pull away.

"Oh, come on! I think we're going to hook you up _tonight_!" the loud brunet grinned.

"I don't want to get hooked up, Keigo. I like my life just the way it is," Ichigo answered oddly calm, an icy stare glaring at his friend. _'Even if it __**can **__be a bit lonely, I don't live that far from my dad and sisters. I'm not alone,' _he thought. Men were born with hands for a reason, that reason being that they didn't have to be sexually deprived when not in a relationship. _'I'm fine the way it is.'_

Not only had Ichigo admitted to Rukia that he had feelings for her, she had the gall to turn him down _and _go back to the Soul Society. That had been at least a year ago by now, but he hadn't told a single person, nor had he truly gotten over it.

---

_The sun shone brightly through the window of Ichigo's bedroom, giving the brilliant proof of a lazy summer day. The birds were chirping happily, a few cicadas cried their buzzing song, and the laughter of happy children on vacation rung through the air. "Hey... Rukia? Could I talk to you for just a minute?" Ichigo asked, anxiety apparent in his demeanor. He scratched at an invisible itch on his forearm and carefully crossed his legs under him as he sat down on his bed._

_The petite shinigami glanced back at him. She was visiting on business. There had been a small outbreak of Hollows that Rukia had been sent to deal with. Currently, she also had been ordered to keep patrol over the area for at least a week to make sure there wasn't any sort of lapse between worlds. Hollow outbreak had become slightly rarer, so it was a matter to be dealt with at once. "... Is there something wrong, Ichigo?" she asked, sounding a bit concerned. The red-head didn't like to show his feelings like she was currently sensing._

_"Could you come here and sit down next to me, at least? I'm being serious," Ichigo frowned deeply, his brow crinkling._

_Rukia sighed and nodded, plopping down on the bed. "What is it?" She peered up at him, curiosity in her dark eyes. _

_Ichigo almost felt himself get lost in her expression. She was just so pretty. Her features were so delicate, small, and just--for lack of a better word--adorable, but he knew the power behind this façade. When she wanted to and he wasn't a shinigami, she could probably beat the crap out of him. Ichigo decided to keep that in mind. "There's been something that I kinda wanted to tell you..." he trailed off, scratching behind his head._

_"You're stalling, Ichigo."_

_"Sorry. I just... Rukia, I think I'm in love with you," he blurted out. There. She couldn't tell him that he was stalling anymore. With the revelation, he felt his insides twist around and clench up in the most uncomfortable of ways, like his stomach was just eating itself with nervousness for her answer._

_She stared at him strangely for a moment. "Ichigo..." she said softly, "I don't know what to say to that. How long?"_

_"I'm not even sure myself. A long time, Rukia."_

_"I'm sorry, Ichigo..."_

_"Why would you be sorry? You didn't do anything wr--" Ichigo blinked as he was cut off by Rukia silencing him with her right index finger over his lips._

_"You know that I care about you a lot, too. More than just about anybody, perhaps more than anybody, right?" she asked. When she received a tiny nod as an answer, she continued, "You're a human, Ichigo. It doesn't matter that you now have shinigami powers... You are still a human." Ichigo threw her a desperate look that simply asked why something like that would matter. "I have no idea if that means you will live the lifespan of a human or a shinigami, Ichigo. That would just be... too painful. Don't you agree?"_

_"But... Rukia..." Ichigo muttered, gently brushing her hand away, "You can't know until you try, right?"_

_"Ichigo, I understand where you're coming from. I know the way you are; you would try to find some way to get that increased lifespan at some idiotic cost for me. I'm not going to let you do that."_

_"But when I die, I'll go the Soul Society!" Ichigo retorted, "Why does this even make a difference to you?"_

_"I hate seeing you get hurt."_

_Ichigo wanted to yell that she was hurting him right now, killing him, but he couldn't._

_"I know that it sounds stupid, Ichigo, but please try to understand. I've heard you humans say that this sounds cliché, but... it's me, not you. I think I have to be going now, though..." Rukia whispered. _(2)

_Ichigo stared at her before letting his eyes slip closed. He sat that way for a few moments and when he slowly peered around again, she was gone. He laid down on the bed, his head against the spot where she had been. Letting out a huge sigh, he felt the first tear roll off his cheek for the first time in many years. "... Rukia..." he said to himself, so quietly that he barely heard it. The more he thought about her answer, the less it made sense to him. She lied; he wouldn't understand. _

_This gorgeous day suddenly seemed just a little bit darker. No longer did Ichigo hear the songbirds, cicadas, or happiness. The only thing he noticed was the gloomy howl of the hot summer wind as it carried the sound he knew as the painful thud of his heart._

---

The rest of that night in the slowly emptying nightclub went fairly well. Ichigo knew he got off key a few times, and he despised that, but it happened. He was distracted by remembering his rejection from Rukia. Currently sitting at the cherry-red colored wood bar, he smiled slightly at the bartender. "Hey, would you mind getting me a beer?" he asked.

"No problem, Kurosaki-san," the middle-aged, balding man smiled. Ichigo had come to like him well enough; the guy was kind. He had dark-brown hair that was starting to grey a little bit, along with a round tummy. Known as Aku-san, he also liked to get to know his regulars, one of which was Ichigo. They had a good relationship because Ichigo's band brought in business, and the young adult was a good-paying customer as well. Pouring the ice-cold brew into a large mug, Aku-san set the drink on the counter as he faced Ichigo with his blue eyes that crinkled around the corners when he flashed a smile. "There you go. Pay when you like."

"Thanks, Aku-san," Ichigo answered, nodding in acceptance as he took the alcohol. He brought the cup up to his lips and was about to take a sip when a familiar voice interrupted him.

"I don't know if I pictured you as an alcoholic or a drug-addict, Kurosaki, but I knew you'd find one or the other eventually."

Ichigo scowled deeply and thought for a moment before turning around. He was certain he recognized that voice, but it was just more… mature, a bit deeper, and even more condescending than he recalled. "Ishida. What the hell are you doing in a place like this, you tight-ass? I haven't seen you in years," he remarked, glancing up to meet sapphire eyes with his own amber.

"I saw the name of the band that was playing. It somehow just reminded me of you, so I thought I could just check it out for a moment, and look what I found." Said sapphire eyes appeared sharp and annoyed.

"Don't look so pissed if you were actually looking around for me."

"Who said I was looking for you, idiot? I just said it reminded me of you."

The red-head simply growled to himself before offering the seat aside him to Ishida, who surprisingly accepted. Ichigo wouldn't admit that he had missed Ishida as well. The guy could be a dick, but he was still a comrade that he respected and enjoyed to be around occasionally. "… Where did you go?" he asked, glancing over at Uryuu.

"I remember telling you that it was none of your business," he snorted in a stuck-up way, folding his hands on the counter in front of him.

Ichigo just stared at his old acquaintance in awe. When did he become a bigger jerk? Besides that, he noticed that Ishida's hair had grown slightly longer, but not by much, and his clothes had gotten darker. The long-sleeved shirt still had the remnants of Quincy pride, as it was graced with that Godforsaken cross on each arm, but the rest was just a black, button-up (x), collared, and tucked-in shirt that any other guy would wear. Mildly-loose black trousers were held up with a simple belt.

"You look a bit different, Kurosaki," Ishida noted, looking up and down the man next to him.

The gaze made Ichigo shift nervously. "It's my concert wear," he replied simply.

"I think it makes you look like a stripper from a gay club."

"Well, you look like a fag, too!"

"… It really has been a long time," Ishida sighed. Did that sound a bit sad?

"Feh. I haven't missed you at all."

"I never said I missed you either, you fool."

Ichigo fell silent for a moment. "So… do you have anybody in your life right now?" he asked just for the sake of conversation. He noticed the atmosphere between them become tense, so he glanced over at the other. "Ishid--"

"No, I don't," he said sharply, cutting the other off. Ichigo just nodded and decided to be quiet until Uryuu wanted to speak.

"… Why? Do you?"

"Hm?"

"Have anybody special in your life right now, Ichigo."

"Ichigo, huh? I'm surprised," the musician answered, "But… no, I don't. I asked Rukia, but she turned me down. It's kind of hard to get over, you know? All I can say is that unrequited love hurts." With that, he took a swig of beer.

"… Yeah, it does…" Ishida watched the other closely. He noticed the rippling of muscles in Ichigo's throat as he swallowed, the way his Adam's apple bobbed slightly, and the fact that there was a small trickle of alcohol working its way down his chin. "You're such a slob," he muttered, rolling his eyes. In the dim light, he hoped there was no way to see the heat that had worked its way onto his face.

Ichigo merely smiled at him as there was no point in arguing. His body became stiff as he felt Ishida's fingertip slide along his face. "What are you--"

"Did I not just say that you're a slob? Kurosaki, there's beer on your face," he mumbled, simply flicking the alcohol from his finger to the tiles beneath them as he brought his hand back to his own personal space. A small smile cracked on his porcelain features when he noticed that Ichigo was blushing. "Have I embarrassed the big, bad rockstar?" he teased.

"Shut up, Uryuu. Anyway, do you have anyplace to stay?"

"I don't think it should matter to you. For all you know, Kurosaki, I'm leaving tonight and going back to where I came from."

"… No?"

"I can get a hotel room."

"You can stay with me. Maybe we can catch up a little bit? I know you never truly liked me that much, but that doesn't mean you have to hold such childish ideas. Please? I promise I won't ask you any questions about… whatever."

Ishida raised an eyebrow in disbelief. "Yeah, right. Fine, though. I'll go with you."

Ichigo glanced around the dark room of the nightclub and noticed that both Chad and Keigo had gone off without him. "Alright then. Let's go." He set the money on the bar and nodded towards Aku-san to get his attention.

"Headin' out already, Kurosaki-san? Well, okay, I'll see you some other time. Just book us whenever you want!" the man smiled at them.

"Of course, Aku-san. I'll be around, don'tcha worry. Let's go, Ishida." He held out a hand to the other that was promptly slapped away.

"I'm not a five-year-old, Kurosaki. Don't treat me as such," he snarled.

"Okay, geez! Don't be such a jackass!" Ichigo scowled and waved his arms in defense. Making sure that the other was behind him as he walked towards the door, he opened it up and headed out into the sky that slowly was turning lighter once again with a companion at his side.

Ishida Uryuu. Not a man that he ever actually expected to see again.

* * *

So... what do you think? My sister likes it so far, but hey. xD Family works that way sometimes, I guess. 

FOOTNOTES  
(1) My sister is also on a "Loveless" kick lately, so that's a spoof of Ritsuka's name, obviously.  
(2) Rukia's argument really doesn't make sense because I don't know if Ichigo would live like a shinigami or a human. Help? xD

Other Note (x)  
Thank you for reminding me of this, HunterKai. I was going to mention it and had forgotten. xD; So, thanks. We know that Ishida hates buttons. HE HATES BUTTONS. So, why does he have a button-up shirt? Let's just say that it's his way of showing that even if he didn't like them, he conquered the art of buttons with his 1337 sewing skills, 'kay? That was actually my intention when I wrote that. Just so we all are on the same page with that.

Read and review, if you so desire! x3


	2. Chapter 2

Hey, I'm back already with the second chapter of "Anti-Strawberry"!  
This is what I call the humor chapter--simply full of stupid arguments, irritated Ichigo, and my sense of humor galore!  
I do hope you all enjoy it as much as I do, and please review if you so desire. I love to hear what my readers have to say, especially when they like what I've managed to put out. x3

* * *

'_An interesting night this has turned out to be, after all…' _Ichigo pondered as he glanced up at the moon. It shone down at him in a melancholic-yet-soothing way, and in its own right, he just thought it looked like he was being mocked. Did that make sense? Probably not, but it really wasn't something to worry about at the moment. The only thing left to interrupt Ichigo from his serene thoughts was a derogatory comment. 

"I hadn't noticed how dingy this area of town looked when it was darker outside. Why do you come down here at all?"

The redhead sighed in dismay and scowled to himself before whipping around. "The club itself isn't such a bad place, Ishida. And it's not that dingy; what kind of people do you think stalk around at this time of night? It's not like this during the _day_." That was what was to be said about the numerous cigarette butts, alcohol bottles, lurking people, and just all-around creepiness at four-thirty in the morning.

"What kind of people? You, obviously," Uryuu snorted.

"Ergh… I'm not usually here this late!" he snapped back.

"Fine. Just hurry up at get us to your car. I don't want to be mugged."

Ichigo chose not to fight this time (reckless as he was, this was a battle he could not win for it was in wits), and simply led the complaining man behind him to his vehicle.

"You're a musician and you _drive __**this **_piece of crap?"

"Is there _anything_ you don't complain about? Besides, there's nothing wrong with my car!" Ichigo retorted shortly, pulling his keys from the pocket of his pants. Grasping the remote for the car, he unlocked the doors to allow them to get inside. Either way, Ichigo happened to like his car. No, it wasn't fancy at all, nor had it been extremely expensive, but he was trying to get a new and decent car on a budget.

As far as Kurosaki was concerned, he could have done far worse than a sapphire-blue Mitsubishi Galant Fortis (1) with a spoiler. Right?

They both climbed in at once and buckled their seat belts. Shoving the key into the ignition and turning it to start up, Ichigo put on the radio right away.

Ishida had probably heard the sound coming out of the speakers for all of three seconds before he changed the station to a very early morning talk show.

"Hey! I was listening to that song, and I was gonna sing with it!" Ichigo cried.

"I didn't like it very much. Who wants to hear you sing, anyway?" The only response Uryuu got was to be stared at in an amazed awe for a moment before Ichigo started to pull out of his parking space.

"You're backing out on an odd angle, Ichigo."

"Because it's an angled parking spot, tight-ass."

"In the opposite direction, dumbass."

"SHUT **UP **ALREADY!"

This outburst surprisingly earned Ichigo ten minutes of silence between him and the dark-haired one aside him. The former just glared out the window like an angry teenager as he observed the scenery around him change from inner-city to near-suburbs.

"… Something wrong, Uryuu?"

"I'm not sure if I want to spend the night with you, Kurosaki."

This comment was ignored for as Ichigo started to pull his car into the garage of a newer apartment complex. The outside was of brick on the first level and wood-and-stone masonry on the second. It appeared to have between six and ten apartments at the most, and was nestled upon the corner of a not-so-busy intersection. The front yard was graced with some well-maintained shrubbery, including quite a few rose bushes, a Japanese maple, and four sakura trees. Ichigo really did work just hard enough so he could afford to live in this building because over the four years he'd been there, he'd truly fallen in love with it even if it _was_ an apartment.

Glancing over at Ishida, there was one thing that the redhead just had to say. "Aren't you going to say something bad about this place, too?"

This was a man that always had a better comeback, though. "I'll admit that the outside of the building is nice, but there's no reason to criticize that. You see, _you_ aren't the one who takes care of the outside, and I will say whatever I please about your apartment itself."

A sigh. "Whatever. Just come on." Getting out of the car, Ichigo locked and set the alarm as soon as Uryuu was absent of the vehicle as well. "I live on the second floor, by the way." He motioned with his hand and started into the building and into the elevator.

"Too lazy to walk up the stairs?"

"No, the stairs are being fixed because some stupid kid decided to slide down the banister and ended up snapping it in half. I guess they don't want us to use them without the railing." He glanced at Ishida just to dare him to laugh. Ichigo doubted he would because the information didn't include anything stupid that he himself had done.

"Fair enough," the other answered as they exited the elevator to the second floor. He was led down a somewhat-wide, white hallway that was adorned with dark blue carpeting and many quaint pictures upon the walls. He assumed that the landlord just wanted the building to be homely or something of the sort. Only when Ichigo unlocked and opened the only door down the hallway without some sort of flowery accent from the renter was he sure that the redhead was indeed the owner.

He probably liked this building because it was full of women (assuming by the décor).

Opening the door and stepping aside to allow Ishida inside, Ichigo muttered, "Home sweet home…" Looking around would let one see that it was neither bland nor overdone inside. The room in which one entered was the living room, painted in a very mild teal-like color with mahogany crown-molding accents along the floor. The carpeting was off-white and led to the kitchen off to the right and what appeared to be a very short hallway to the left. This 'hallway' (Ichigo himself was even unsure if he wanted to call it quite that) only accessed his bathroom and master bedroom.

"You have surprisingly modern tastes in furniture, Ichigo," Ishida noted as he glanced around at the white set that consisted of a rather squared couch, loveseat, and recliner. There was a coffee table in front of the loveseat that was simply a glass plate on a mahogany-colored wood frame, and the end tables seemed to match this style. Ichigo even seemed to have some of the almost-tacky decorations one would find in a furniture store, but nobody even thought that people bought.

The boy had a zebra-striped oil lamp next to black, boxy little electric lamps on each end table. Ishida would remind himself to laugh at that in the morning just for suspense.

"Yeah, well… I wanted to change some after I left home…" he answered quietly, "Why, is it that bad?"

"Not particularly. I didn't expect it for some reason, though. You do have a nice television, I'll give you that." The twenty-seven inch flat panel rested upon the wall. Honestly, Ishida didn't even know such models came so tiny. (Not that twenty-seven inches was a bad size.)

"Er… thanks. I actually have a bigger one in my bedroom. I spend more time in there, myself."

"Masturbating or something else crude?"

"No!" Ichigo exclaimed, his face reddening, "I just… there's not usually anybody around to 'live' with in _here_, so I'd rather just lie down on the bed where I'm always alone, and like I said: the bigger television is in there."

"Have you no friends, Ichigo?"

"Probably more than you do."

"Touché."

Ichigo let out a sigh. "I'd like to lay down. Do you want anything in the meantime?"

"I'll come with you, if you don't mind," Uryuu replied calmly.

"Um… if you really have to." That being said, Ichigo was followed straight into his bedroom by the stubborn Quincy. Before a word could be said, Ishida had made himself comfortable on Ichigo's side of the bed.

"What are you doing?" Kurosaki groaned.

"Laying down."

"That's my side."

"There are two sides to a queen-sized bed."

"Go lay down on the couch!"

"I'd rather be more comfortable in the bed, thanks."

Ichigo just growled, "Have you always been like this, Uryuu? Something just seems so different about you, and not in a good way! It's like you became an even _bigger_ jerk after you just decided to up-and-leave without telling any of us anything at all!" There was some silence as a result, which almost made Ichigo feel guilty, but not quite. "… Ishida-kun?"

"Shut up, Ichigo."

"You can't tell me to shut up in my own home, Ishida!" he erupted, jumping onto the bed and pinning the other down in anger, "What's wrong with you!?" Why that had been his breaking point, Ichigo was unsure. He had taken enough the entire night, and he couldn't take it any more.

The deep blue of his eyes stared up at a bitter amber gaze somewhat blankly. "Get off of me," he whispered.

Ichigo only leaned down closer. He felt as if he was invading his own personal space by doing such a bold thing (even for him), and it was uncomfortable, but Ishida _needed_ to be set straight (2). "Why don't you make me, then?" he challenged in a hiss.

Uryuu swallowed the tightness in his throat as he felt the furious caress of Ichigo's hot breath across his face. His hands were pinned over his head as his pelvis was pressed down to disable his legs from moving enough to squirm away. He didn't know how such simple comments could irritate anybody so much so that the practically-defenseless being underneath could feel the rage shaking in the dominator's limbs. Daring to take another look into Ichigo's auburn eyes, he saw that _this _time the annoyance had not waned. "… I'm… sorry, Kurosaki. I'm taking it out on you."

Ichigo gawked in confusion (not a highly intelligent look for him) before uttering a simple, "Huh?"

"Are you deaf as well as stupid? I told you that I'm sorry."

"For being an ass tonight or just in general?"

"Please, will you just listen to me?" Uryuu urged almost desperately, "And get off of me!"

"Fine," Ichigo muttered and slid off to his right, settling himself next to Ishida. "You brought this up yourself, so I think you should explain this to me."

The dark-haired one released a short huff and rolled onto his side to face Ichigo. "I hadn't wanted to leave, actually, but… there was somebody I just had to get away from. Two people, now that I think about it, though one of them didn't even know about what they'd done." He gave his companion an unreadable glance that sent shivers up and down the man's spine.

"Who?" Ichigo questioned earnestly, "And why didn't you let any of us help you?"

"My father, he… Well, we all know how I get along with Ryuuken," Ishida barked coldly, "And he did something that I couldn't forgive, so I left on a deal with him."

"Well, what was he going to do?"

"I heard him talking with somebody one night; it was actually your father."

"… Dad?" Ichigo sounded only mildly surprised, "They are both doctors, so that's not so strange, Ish--"

"He was saying that he was going to have your family's clinic sued and shut down for illegal use of methods for treatment as to get more money out of patients."

"But my father would never--!"

"I _know _that Ichigo!" Uryuu snapped, glaring at the other, "Your dad might be an idiot like you, but I know he's not an _evil_ idiot. Ryuuken just wanted more business for himself, and to make your lives difficult."

"But why would he want to do that? I know that he and my father don't really care for each other that much, but still…"

"Because of you."

"**ME!?**"

"Yes."

"What the hell did I ever do!?"

There was no answer to this question at first; Ishida averted his gaze to the navy blue comforter beneath him. Allowing his head to actually sink into the pillow and get somewhat cozy, he could not bring his gaze back to Ichigo. "I tried to… to change Ryuuken's mind and just leave your family alone; I told him that it really wouldn't make any sort of difference to his hospital to shut down the Kurosaki clinic, but then he got angry at me. He wondered why I would care at all, so I told him that just because you were a stupid shinigami didn't mean that the rest of your family had to suffer."

"Well… thank you."

"It was your fault that I had to leave, too, Ichigo."

"What the hell did I ever do… again!?"

Ishida peered upwards into the confused expression that was given to him by Ichigo. "I needed to get away from you."

"I kind of figured that part out for myself considering what you just said," he replied sarcastically with a rather deep scowl on his face, "… And what are you doing!?" Ichigo felt the feather-light touch of Uryuu's fingertip once again, but this time it was tracing over the sensitive skin of his lips. He shuddered from shock, uncertainty, and an unintentional sensation of pleasure.

"You really frown too much, Ichigo."

"Take a look in the mirror, my friend."

Ishida hadn't moved his hand from Ichigo's mouth as he let it slide upwards and sketch the outline of the other's cheek 'til it was back down to his jaw. He was surprised not to have gotten another complaint just yet; maybe Ichigo was just a bigger dolt than he'd originally thought and hadn't realized what his acquaintance was trying to do.

Or perhaps he wasn't so dumb. "… What did your father say about me?"

"Ryuuken said that you made me gay and he never wanted to see me again. I'm not supposed to be here at all; he shipped me to America to go to school there without letting me tell anybody." There. He'd admitted it, and really, there was a bit of a weight that just seemed to be lifted.

Ichigo slowly rose his hand up, almost appearing like he was going to slap Uryuu away. Instead of that, he brought it down upon the other's and gently caressed it with his thumb. "I'm sorry," he breathed, "If I actually was the cause to have your father make your life that much of a pain, I have to be a lousy friend."

Ishida absorbed that for a moment, feeling the warm and calloused palm of Ichigo's hand upon his own before shaking his head. "Maybe you were _too_ good of a friend because we really are so much alike, Ichigo," he answered, "But it wasn't your fault. I'd been confused since I was fourteen years old. I still don't understand how Ryuuken figured it out because I made no hints, nor had I ever planned on telling him a fucking thing."

Ichigo smirked slightly. "You really are something else, Uryuu." Letting out a gentle sigh, Ichigo removed the hand from his face and allowed the two to entwine and rest between them on the bed.

"Perhaps you've confused me a little more right now. I didn't think you were…"

"I'm not _gay_, Ishida. Don't tell me _now_ that you're not a woman."

"Cute."

"Obviously."

Ishida snorted in disagreement (or was he agreeing?) and inconspicuously snuggled a little bit closer. It was too bad that Ichigo really wasn't anything about inconspicuous as he switched the hand he used to hold Ishida's and pulled his flush in against his trimmed body.

"Are you mental?" Uryuu grumbled, letting his eyes slip closed. Perhaps it was just now turning to daylight, but he was slowly falling asleep.

Ichigo looked down at his bedmate and slowly leaned closer; he could feel his own body shaking with something albeit fear when he found himself inches from the other's mouth.

Ishida didn't even have to open his eyes. "Are you going to kiss me or sit there like a dumb ape all day?" His answer was the crashing of Ichigo's silenced lips against his own.

* * *

I hate cliffhangers. That's more of a... sexhanger, though. xD I'll have to be truly careful about the way I write the next chapter, which I think will probably be the last one. Hope you liked this one!

FOOTNOTES

(1) The name (in Japan) of what we know as a Lancer; this is what it is called there as of this year (2007, of course). I had to do a slight amount of research to find a car for Ichigo because I'm an idiot and decided that (a) he had to have a new car, (b) it's a Japanese car, and (c) it is a car that somebody on a budget could _probably_ afford. An added bonus for me is that it really isn't an ugly little bugger, and the name is Latin for _strong, steadfast, and courageous_. OMGICHIGO. xD! Just in case I _am_ wrong about any of those things, I used beepbeep(dot)com and Wikipedia as references, so you can blame either them or my ignorance to read properly.  
(2) That made me giggle on the inside for no reason at all.


	3. Chapter 3

Am I slow this time or what? xD Sorry about any of you who were actually really into this at the time; school started before I could finish, and... well, you all know how that goes. I had to concentrate a bit more on that rather that writing.  
Anywho, the rating ish upped because of this chapter; lemony-lime goodness. (Yah right.) If anyone finds it to be too graphic, tell me and I'll fix it. Thank you very much. Personally, I tried to make it a bit vague towards the end just so I could put it here for j00 all. x3

Oh, and before I forget, and this is not a certain thing by any means: In your reviews, tell me if you'd like to see a sequel. I have a little bit of an idea that I could fit in with here if anybody wants this small three-chapter story to expand. :)

* * *

The ticking of a clock and the fiery heat of Ishida's breath against his cheek was all that reminded Ichigo that he was, indeed, not imagining this moment in time. Whether or not he _wanted _to believe it was still uncertain. In a way, it reminded Ichigo of the moon because it was so chilly and, even so, could give you a warm feeling in your tummy when you truly looked at the light around the edges.

Everything seemed so stiff and yet so right. Perhaps they had to warm up into this idea, or maybe Ichigo was just a bad kisser. He didn't know that either, but by God, though, for a person so incredibly cold and detached, Ishida's body was oh-so very _hot _and oh-so very close. All he knew now was that an accidental cry of surprise slipped from his mouth when he so suddenly felt himself being grasped between his legs.

Ishida had taken his hand away from their laced brace a moment before, but he hadn't decided to take any meaning to that. Oops.

"U-Uryuu… I don't think you should, ah!" he was cut off (squeaking) with a firm grope as either punishment or something else.

_Why did this all have to confuse him so?_

"I can't believe that you're so virginal, Kurosaki," was the worded reply.

A furious blush spread across the redhead's face. "Or maybe you're just too horny," he retorted almost breathlessly. Response? A smirk that made Ichigo's stomach drop at least a few inches.

Ishida leaned in close and whispered against the other's ear, "Just for you." A sharp nip to the lobe made the shinigami whimper.

"Where did this all _come_ from, dammit!? You don't have to act like a nympho!"

"I apologize, Kurosaki."

"Can you at least call me by my first name?"

"… _**Ichigo**_."

The way it rolled off of the Quincy's tongue made Ichigo stare. Was he trying to be seductive? The only thing wrong with that was the fact that it seemed to be _working. _He captured the smirking lips in a bruising kiss.

Maybe there _was_ a point behind Ishida being obnoxious; the shinigami found the sharp gasp that he received as a reward for his actions to be _highly_ pleasing. It gave him a strong sense of control now. "How about you listen to what I say for now?" he purred.

"You don't even know what you're doing," the other replied.

Ichigo frowned, snorting, "Shut up." At that point, he started to slip his shirt over his head. A questioning and almost-confused glance from Ishida was the _thankfully_-quiet reply. "I sleep without a shirt. What? Aren't you tired?"

"Well, yes…" he trailed off absently.

"Then we can sleep. You obviously want to be in the bed with me anyw-OW!" Ichigo was not happy to find himself with a fist to his stomach. "Damn!"

Uryuu clicked his tongue in annoyance, and buried himself under the covers, purposefully making them very messy. (He had been honestly surprised that Ichigo's home was so clean; he seemed like such a slob.) Turning away from Ichigo, he snuggled all the way in and huffed one last time.

"You've got to be kidding me," Ichigo sighed. He followed suit and decided to pull Ishida into his arms. The other male resisted at first but ultimately decided to just let it be. That is, until Ichigo licked the shell of his ear.

"What are you _doing_!?" he snapped in surprise, almost tossing his elbow back to smash into that cocky face. It was impossible to hide the blush that had infected Uryuu's skin.

"Experimenting."

"I thought you weren't gay?"

"There's plenty of me to go around for _everybody_."

"Perverted bastard."

"Whatever."

At that point, they both fell silent, still in their back-to-chest embrace. Ishida could feel the redhead's body start to relax as he started to get sleepier. His grip became looser and more gentle, something that was quite unlike the Ichigo that _most _people knew. Slowly glancing backwards over his shoulder, the Quincy was surprised to see that this stupid shinigami was lazily (and tiredly) smiling at him.

"What do you want?" he asked sharply.

"Nothin'. Is it wrong to look at a face that I haven't seen in so many years?"

"I suppose not, but still…"

"Will you just relax?"

With that, Ishida rolled over and let his arms rest snuggled up against his body, his head against the crook of Ichigo's neck. He didn't care if it wasn't something he normally wouldn't do; romantic moments can make one do crazy things. Closing his eyes and breathing deeply, Ishida allowed himself to once again be familiarized with the scent that he had once known as Ichigo.

It wasn't exactly the same. The faint smell of a spicy soap and a very mild, sweet cologne mixed with a slight amount of salt, just from him having been sweaty and hot up on stage. Ichigo had never bothered with cologne when they were younger; perhaps it was the fact that he must have been out often that made him think of wearing it. Either way, no longer could Ishida trace the ever-so-slight but copper metallic scent of blood; more often than not, that blood was Ichigo's. He had always been _so_ good at ending up severely injured. "… Ichigo, I want you to kiss me."

The other frowned in surprise. "That came from nowhere."

"Please… please just do it, Ichigo. I need it."

He was still hesitant, gently cupping the narrow chin in his fingertips and tilting it towards him. Looking into those sapphire eyes was a bit heartbreaking. There was such desperation and yet a fear of rejection. As that gap between their lips was ebbed away by Ichigo's imperceptibly-slow lean forward, he noticed those eyes start to close, so he did the same.

Right away, Uryuu felt a surge of electricity flow through all of his veins even though they were just tightly lip-locked like inexperienced teenagers. He was surprised to feel the opening of the other's mouth first, the prodding of his tongue against a sensitive mouth that so gladly granted the access. The feeling of any tongue other than your own inside of your mouth was indeed a strange, though pleasurable, feeling.

Ichigo felt the soft, squishy muscle of Ishida's mouth press against his own and gasped lightly. Perhaps he _was _virginal because it felt so new. Why had he missed out on this for so long? A spark ignited inside of him, just as the heart of a hunter after his first catch. The shinigami gripped Ishida's wrists firmly and rolled on top of him, forcing the other onto his back.

Uryuu pulled away, panting for breath. "I-Ichigo," he stammered nervously as his hands were freed. "Ah…" The other's body became pressed closer, and the Quincy could feel the tightness of Ichigo's pants against his leg. He couldn't help it; Uryuu frantically grabbed the zipper of the redhead's jeans. Shakily, he slid it down and fiddled with the button until he was sure they were undone, allowing Ichigo to let out a sigh of relief when the pants themselves were removed from his legs. He kicked them off the side of the bed rather violently. Ishida glanced upwards and put his arms around Ichigo's neck, drinking in the sight of his body. "Take them off," he whispered, "Do it now."

Ichigo's face fell slightly. As he was about to stutter something, he was interrupted by the other's words.

"If you don't, I'll do it for you. Now take your boxers off, Ichigo."

He was still frozen but nodded anyway and sat up on his knees, still over Ishida's body. "Fine," he rasped in a voice that sounded erotic even though it wasn't intended to be that way. He hooked his thumbs inside of his underwear and slowly cast them off. Seeing the tone of Ishida's skin become redder at the sight of his manhood, he leaned back down over his body. "Happy?"

"Perhaps."

"Where do you want this to go, Uryuu?" he whispered, resting his lips against the skin along the Quincy's neck. Nibbling and suckling gently on the sensitive area brought forth a small, begging whimper from the other.

He didn't want to be like this, so needy and whiney and just… Ishida didn't like the fact that he wanted to submit so _badly_. At the same time, he just wished to be here in this intimate moment. "I… I want it to go somewhere that… Nobody ever actually says it except for in romance novels."

Ichigo let out a tiny rumble of laughter. He had read a romance novel or two (thanks to Yuzu _and_ Orihime), and some of the phrases that they used were absolute jokes. Oftentimes one wondered if people _actually _said such things. "If you say so…" he replied quietly, starting to undo the buttons of the shirt to push it off of the other's shoulders.

Ishida was far too impatient for this child's pace that the shinigami was taking, so he sat up and threw the shirt away none too sensually. "There!" he snapped.

Ichigo raised an eyebrow and smirked, sitting up himself and pulling the other into his lap. He saw the embarrassment in Ishida's eyes as he felt the erection pressed against his backside. "I think you should take your pants off for me then, Uryuu," he murmured into his collarbone as he suckled on it.

The darker-haired one growled in annoyance with Ichigo but let loose the latch of the belt and undid the fly in a few swift movements.

There was an almost curious glance in the shinigami's eyes the moment he started to reach one of his hands towards the neglected region of this Quincy's body. His mind stayed hesitant, only forcibly reminding him all the time that this was a man. There was not only that, but it was also Ishida. Someone who had once said, _"Ichigo Kurosaki, I hate you." _All because of his silly, overbearing Quincy pride.

Damn that Godforsaken Quincy. Damn him to hell for having this lithe, silky, and oddly-curvy body before him. Damn him for having those gorgeous sapphire eyes that looked so incredibly sad sometimes and were just filled with a tantalizing spark in his aroused nature. Damn him for his soft, perfect, dark hair that looked so incredibly sexy and adorable being ruffled. Damn him the most for ever having associated with Ichigo in the first place.

Oh, how he hated this person sitting so willingly in his clutches.

Oh, how he loved this person so incredibly much just for being here after leaving for so long.

"Ichigo…"

This small whisper was enough to knock him out of this love-hate trance, his eyes snapping back to the tender expression that he really did enjoy.

"Why are you so distracted?" Ishida asked quietly, nipping on the pink lower lip just daring to be bitten. It was only now that he realized how much he had missed this orange-haired, loud, obnoxious, overprotective, arrogant, selfish shinigami. He had missed him so much. His atmosphere, his confidence, his presence, even his scent.

When he thought back to how he had even bothered meeting Ichigo, it almost (key: almost) made him feel guilty for automatically hating the boy for his shinigami ways and his obliviousness. It was too bad that he ended up falling so far as to be in love with the likes of his idiotic self.

"I'm sorry, Uryuu, I was just thinking about something," came the airy reply into his ear. That loud mouth planted onto Ishida's jaw and trailed right back to his lips. He pulled away, though.

"Make me a promise, Ichigo."

"What's that?"

"Don't be loud."

The look that he got was either that of disgust or confusion. This was confirmed by the simple 'huh?'

"I said: _don't be loud_. This is an apartment building. Do you really want your neighbors to hear you having _sex_?"

Ichigo grumbled a little bit, something about being able to make just as much noise as he pleased, but nodded anyway. "Whatever you say."

"Oh, and no more talking."

"But…"

"Shut up, Ichigo!"

And he was silent, roughly kissing those demanding lips again. This pattern went in such circles: insult, kiss, get a little bit more naked, and insult. Was this really what sex was like? Regardless, he pressed forward and rolled Ishida onto his back some, just so his rear end was slightly higher up. The dark-haired head was almost pressed up against the headboard, and Ichigo had to admit that in some severely twisted way, seeing the compromised position of his friend and a bit of a funny tilt in his neck was such a turn-on. He rested his wide hands against the pale hips of the other and slowly slid the final garment of clothing away.

So then he could see it all. And his sexual instincts made him just want some more.

"Uryuu…" was all that he whispered as the tension in his body and mind melted away. Kisses became more frantic and heated until Ichigo thought he might want to explode with ecstasy. It wasn't enough yet, though. It just wasn't enough. Now these kisses became provocative touches, each caressing farther down their opposite's body.

"Come on, Ichigo… do it," Ishida panted softly, "I'm telling you to."

"But I don't have--"

"I thought I told you not to talk anymore?"

The Quincy bit back a small growl of pain as his answer was received. He told Ichigo to hold his peace, and at least he had listened. Time passed only to grow comfortable, writhing and moaning softly until Ichigo would ruin it and add another piece to his response. All of this until he took it away and positioned himself. He wasn't allowed to speak, so he just gave Ishida a questioning glance.

To which was replied with by a nod.

"Ah--" Uryuu refused to cry out in pain. He was not going to cry, nor would he allow Ichigo to have complete control over him. There were plenty of times he had felt pain so much worse than this, and just to prove it, he thrust his body against Ichigo's. "Don't just sit there like an idiot!" he snapped in a strained voice.

The musician just snorted and attached his lips to Ishida's neck as he built their pace. It changed frequently, sometimes being slow and gentle and others it would become hurried and rough. Neither of them could deny the pit of fire that built up in their stomachs that was undeniably more frustrating the longer it was dissatisfied.

Ichigo let go first, a surprised cry escaping from his lungs, followed by a sever shudder to course through his body with shaky pants of breath. The suddenness of it tossed Ishida over the cliff as well, and the tensing of the muscles throughout his body gave the redhead an extra helping of pleasure before he retreated and collapsed next to him.

Wrapping his strong arms around the dark-haired boy, Ichigo closed his eyes and nuzzled himself near. Ishida wasn't quite sure if he wanted to appreciate this or not, but he decided it would be alright for now as he got comfortable being held.

"… Can I ask you a favor this time?" Ichigo muttered sleepily, his amber eyes shifting around nervously.

"Mm?" the other huffed; he had almost been asleep.

"Please don't leave this time."

"Whatever. If you so insist, my Anti-Strawberry…" he answered with a smirk, glancing at a promotional poster that Ichigo had taped onto his wall. Uryuu assumed it must have been from his first gig, as he looked slightly younger. Splattered across his Ichigo in a rocker's outfit as he sang to his heart's content was the name of the band. Such a stupid name, it was.

* * *

The end! Thank you all so much for reading and posting your reviews. I loved to hear your feedback; even if I don't say anything individual, I want all of you to consider this a big thanks for everything. Hopefully I'll be back soon with something new. 


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